Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy

The Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy (SLRC) is an all-volunteer, non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving and enhancing the historical, aesthetic, ecological and recreational benefits of Silver Lake’s open waters and surrounding open space.

What's going on at the Reservoir

Native plant enthusiasts Alan Duke and Pat Gallery help SLRC insure the healthy development of the new plantings on Armstrong Avenue. Come join us on Saturday, May 2 to continue our community-fueled march up the Armstrong slope – anytime between 9am and 1pm. And plan on attending a native plant talk by Lisa Novick of the Theodore Payne Foundation this Saturday, April 25 at 10am. It’s part of a series of talks curated by Kathleen and Julia from the adjacent Meadow Native Garden and supported by the Silver Lake neighborhood Council. For more info: http://silverlakenc.org/events/

Hope to see you out at the reservoir! Visit our Facebook page and let us know if you can make it on May 2 (so we’ll have enough snacks and gear!)

Neighbors and community volunteers joined SLRC Board embers again for this month’s beautification day on Armstrong Avenue. We made a lot of progress removing weeds, spreading mulch and planting more drought tolerant California native plants.

Many thanks to all who lent a hand that day, and to our plant-loving partners for loads of tools and supplies:

Silver Lake Farms www.silverlakefarms.com

Plant Systems www.plantsystems.info

Full Circle Gardening www.full-circle.gardening

And as always many thanks to our Community Partners for their ongoing support:

Alimento www.alimentola.com

&

L & E Oyster Bar www.leoysterbar.com

If you would like to support our efforts, you can make a tax-deductible donation at www.silverlakereservoirs.org/donate/

OR come out and join us next time for our “Last Saturdays” on Armstrong Avenue – the last Saturday of each month.

Regular path user Brigitte and her Santa Monica College classmate Arjie help out on an ad-hoc planting day on the Armstrong slope (pictured here with SLRC Project Manager Gabe Mason – and the beautiful pink blooms of a native California Redbud in the background!)

Please join us for our regular monthly community work day this Saturday from 9a-1p. We will provide tools, gloves, water and snacks and much appreciation!

Visit us on Facebook and let us know if you can help us on Saturday (and bring a friend!). Thanks!

Nearly 40 people walked the path on West Silver Lake Blvd.(WSL) to see first hand the construction plans and to talk with the project managers from both the Dept. of Transportation (DOT) and The Dept. of Water and Power (DWP). CD4 Councilman, Tom LaBonge, served as “tour guide” and facilitator.

Although the department heads did provide detailed information about street configuration and a street closure at Tesla & WSL, they also heard a lot of ideas, suggestions and concerns from the residents who will be intimately and consistently impacted by the street construction/ traffic re-routing plans.

Closing Tesla at WSL for up to a week was a surprise to everyone. Neighbors told the DOT that they need to have signage about the closure at the two streets that flow into Telsa, so that drivers won’t be surprised and have to back out of the one-way street, which could be very problematic should there be traffic behind them. They agreed to this plan.

They also agreed to notify the Bureau of Sanitation re: Thursday trash pick up as well as the MTA re: bus re-routing.

At 7:00 more than 80 neighbors joined the walkers at Ivanhoe School. During the meeting, the DWP gave updates on the project timeline and the steps they’re taking to make sure it finishes on time. They also assured the residents that both Ivanhoe and Silver Lake reservoirs would be refilled once the project was completed. However, many were concerned with how the water was being taken out of the reservoirs and what type of water would be used to refill them. They did not want a repeat of the huge amounts of water recently seen pouring down the streets at the Eagle Rock reservoir. DWP is now looking at a variety of conservation/drought conscious methods to re-use, re-cycle and filter much of the water. And they will investigate, along with other city agencies, various tactics to refill the reservoirs in the most cost-effective and drought-sensitive ways possible.

The most contentious part of the meeting dealt with traffic issues during the 8-10 month street construction project. Residents gave a multitude of ideas and suggestions for reducing traffic jams and dangerous traffic flow through narrow residential streets. Since many drivers will be directed to or choose to use Angus, Armstrong, and Kenilworth as an alternate to going southbound on WSL, neighbors were very concerned with pedestrian and vehicular safety on streets that can’t handle the current level of usage.

The DOT representative agreed to review the suggestions and Tom LaBonge will work with a committee of residents to determine with ways to mitigate or reduce their safety concerns. The DOT’s initial plans will be re-evaluated regularly and they will make adjustments or changes when needed.

Although no idea was without a downside, and all agreed that this was going to be a difficult 8-10 months, there was relief that those who will be the most impacted were heard.

Now we will all have to stay calm and be hopeful that both the City Council and the City agencies will be vigilant in making this, if not a positive experience, at least a more tolerable one.

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